Toyota Landcruiser Proda diesel to gas conversion

[PostmanNB]

I bought a 91 RHD Land Cruiser Proda and ran it for a 1 1/2 months before I had to have it rebuilt. It did not work after it was rebuilt and the mechanic that looked at it last says it is not getting any compression on cylinder #1.

I have given up on trying to fix the engine and now looking at replacing it with a gas engine. Has anyone done this and what engine would work that would match the engine mounts and bell housing.

What I read was that the gas version used a 22R engine the same a in a 4Runner and I was looking at finding one at a wrecker to use as a donor.

 

[JuanJ]

Hello,

A 22R or a 22R-E engine will do.

Hope this helps.





Juan

 

[PostmanNB]

The problem with using a 22RE is the electronics I would have to change the the wiring and computer module.

 

[Malahki]

Also check Marks 4wd Adaptors Home Page they make adapters to fit other engines

 

[PostmanNB]

I been told by a auto recycler that a Chev 350 motor would work and be easier to find but would it fit the bell housing of the transmission of a land cruiser Proda

 

[Clint79]

Any engine bar the one that came in it will need some bell housing att ,
I think with the ability to flat foot the pedal with a big power increase in the motor like a chev you will soon be mincing drivetrain parts,
In Aus we have 3.8ltr v6s from 90-04 that come in the very popular vehicles here ,these motors are quite a popular motor that people put in the hiluxs , from what's been said these motors are coppied or orignially made by Buick . They have good power ,Eco and reliability for thrashing and would push a prado around nicely.

 

[PostmanNB]

In Aus we have 3.8ltr v6s from 90-04 that come in the very popular vehicles here ,these motors are quite a popular motor that people put in the hiluxs , from what's been said these motors are coppied or orignially made by Buick . They have good power ,Eco and reliability for thrashing and would push a prado around nicely.

What is the engine model # and do they connect to the bell housing of the prado\hilux or do they need alteration?

 

[PostmanNB]

My Prado in a 91 with a 2L TE diesel engine I want to remove the engine and replace it with a gas engine with a carburetor so I won't have to convert the electrical.

Does anyone have experience with changing an engine in a Prado and what did you use and\or problems you had? I have talked to several people in the area and they don't know where to start or what to recommend.

 

[Radd Cruisers]

The 22RE would be a great choice. The wiring in any EFI motor is really quite simple and ultimately boils down to one (+) wire and one (-) wire. The only other provision is to wire up the idiot light on the dash on engines so equipped.

I would NOT suggest a 350, that is just way too old school and expensive to run (fuel cost will be insane).

A TBI 4.3L would be a better idea. TBI is very easy to wire in, but anything you do is going take some time.

You might also want to consider the rev range of the engine, the Prado is fairly low geared and most Chevy engines in the 4.3 or 5.7 line up are not very high revving.

~John

 

[Clint79]

What is the engine model # and do they connect to the bell housing of the prado\hilux or do they need alteration?

I'm not sure of the actualy engine model name, but they are a 3.8 ltr v6 and every one just calls them the commodore motor , which is made by Holden (GM AUS) marks4wd adapters make bellhousing adapters to suit the v6 to hilux boxs , I presume hilux and prado are the same,
the commodore modls with this motor are called vn,vp,vr,vs,vt,vx Holden commodore etc. Try jump on some Aus hilux/surf forums as well

 

[PostmanNB]

The 22RE would be a great choice. The wiring in any EFI motor is really quite simple and ultimately boils down to one (+) wire and one (-) wire. The only other provision is to wire up the idiot light on the dash on engines so equipped.
~John

Not that easy. The engine in the Land Cruiser Proda is Diesel, the EFI system would have to be changed if I was going to a gas engine. This is why it was recommended to replace the engine with an engine that had a carburetor all you have to do is hook it up to the throttle.

My idea originally was to get a 4Runner with an use the 22RE engine and have them switch all the wiring form it but it was to complicated a project for the mechanics we have here in this part of the province. They don't want to touch it because they would not know where to start or it would tie up there shop.

 

[wobbly]

What about a Rover 3.5 V8 out of an older Range Rover, thats a twin carb setup - also its a lighter engine than the 350.

Quite a lot of 4.0 lexus engine conversions being done in Uk at the moment, but again it requires electrickery.

Problem I see with a petrol engine is that you can tick over at very low revs in a diesel, but not so in a petrol engine, and power curve is different, although this latter point generally countered by the fact that petrol engine will probably have a greater power output even at the lesser points of its delivery than the rather puny 2.4.

Pete

 

[Radd Cruisers]

Not that easy. The engine in the Land Cruiser Proda is Diesel, the EFI system would have to be changed if I was going to a gas engine. This is why it was recommended to replace the engine with an engine that had a carburetor all you have to do is hook it up to the throttle.

My idea originally was to get a 4Runner with an use the 22RE engine and have them switch all the wiring form it but it was to complicated a project for the mechanics we have here in this part of the province. They don't want to touch it because they would not know where to start or it would tie up there shop.

I can understand the fuel injection complications very well, but it's really not that hard. There is probably more fear factor in it than anything else.

There are carbed versions of the 22RE, they are called the 22R and they were in production at the same time as the 22RE. You do have to allow for the provision of a throttle position sensor and a TV (kickdown) cable if you are going to stick with the A343F automatic.


~John

 

[crushers]

for fawks sakes man, ditch the truck and start from scratch. you have dumped WAY WAY too much time and money into this one.

22R, simple install and install the manual tranny from behind it, swap the t/cases and call it a day. no fuss, no muss and no more headaches.

but then why would you listen this time around?

 

[PostmanNB]

There are carbed versions of the 22RE, they are called the 22R and they were in production at the same time as the 22RE. You do have to allow for the provision of a throttle position sensor and a TV (kickdown) cable if you are going to stick with the A343F automatic. [~John

This was the original idea. I tried to find a 22R with no luck. I also saw that the 22R was only available on manual transmission models.

The only fellow who showed interest wanted to put a engine with a carburetor which would involve just hooking up the throttle. He works at a Fiberboard plant and services their forklifts and was suggesting an engine from a forklift

 

[Jim_Hbar]

Postman:

You are asking for advice, but you aren't listening to the pro's that are posting... Wayne and John both do this stuff on a daily basis for a living..

Everybody else that has posted in this thread is telling you basically the same thing. If you want an easy swap, do a 22R or a 22RE, and adapt the transmission to the transfer case.. But remember that 22R's are not powerhouses, and suck fuel.
If that scares you, or the thought of messing with a gasser fuel-injected engine scares you - you will be much better off taking your lumps now and running away from this "project" at this instant.
If you are doing it to save money, that time is long gone!
And the other thing to remember is that the bastard step-child that results will not be worth anything close to what you have spent on it! Please don't call it an "investment"!

But if you want to do this for the technical challenge, and satisfaction of being able to say you did it, then do your research and jump right in! You've been given a link to Mark's Adaptors and the another one to look at is Advanced Adapters..

Clint's recommendation for a 3.8L Buick V6 is a good one, and is the route that I would recommend for a cheap(er) gas engine that has potential for decent fuel economy and performance.. But the newer ones are designed for fwd cars with transverse mounting, and cause a few challenges.. Plus they are all fuel-injected, and distributor-less, so so much for a simple electrical swap.
Also, consider that any engine that runs a carb and a distributor is going to be 20 plus years old, and require a rebuild. They will run like schmidt compared to a modern engine, and will likely consume twice the fuel for similar performance.

Myself, if I was faced with doing a swap on an LJ, I'd be looking for an Isuzu 4BGT and would mate it to a 6 speed standard tranny and use 60 series front and rear diffs - but that's just me. But seriously, I won't do that - I'd put the combo in my '47, where it would have some value.

BTW, I've done and been involved in about 1/2 dozen successful swaps in the past 40 years, so I do have a clue about what's involved.. It will take two to three times the time, and at least double the money of your initial estimate - if you do all the work yourself.

If you are hiring it out, run away from any shop that says they will do it - they don't know what they are getting into. One of the two of you will go broke..

My first guestimate?
The engine will cost $1500,
The transmission $1000
The ECM and wiring harness $1000 if you are lucky, 2K if you're not.
Adapters - $1000
Engine mounts and fab - $500
Radiator - $500
Driveshaft mods - $500
Hoses, fluids, misc - $500..

Over 6K, And you haven't bolted anything together, or rebuilt anything, or paid any labor or shop expenses.

I really hope this helps!

Jim

 

[PostmanNB]

Well thanks everyone, I have been given a lot of advice and information. I wish I had know about this forum and asked some questions a year ago when I made the mistake and had my diesel engine rebuilt.

As mentioned the only local who wanted to do it wanted to put a carburetor engine in and skip the electronics. I realize that going this way I may end up using a lot of gas. The 22R went with this vehicle, but I only see it matched with a manual transmission. I could use use a engine from a Chev or a Buick but would mean spending money on a kit to get it to fit.

From your posts I have found that the transmission on this vehicle is an A343F, doing some research on the internet I have found that this transmission has been used with a 22RE, 3VZE, 3RZFE and 5VZFE.

The plan I am looking at was to purchase a used Toyota 4Runner and use the engine for the swap. Before the engine is removed all wiring would be marked and tagged and take notes so it would be easy to transfer the wiring. The old engine will be removed and the donor engine installed. The wiring from the 4Runner will be installed into the vehicle and reconnected using the tags and notes.

I bought an used Honda CRV to do my mail which is an excellent little truck , but I realize that I have to have a spare vehicle in case it brakes down. I can spend $4 to $5K on a second vehicle or get the Land Cruiser working and use it. At worst I can put the engine in and sell it for $9 to $12K